FIFA World Cup 2026: 19 Teams Confirm Round of 32 Places as Côte d’Ivoire Join Morocco, South Africa
A total of 19 nations have now secured qualification for the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following the latest round of group-stage fixtures, with Côte d’Ivoire becoming the third African team to advance.
The Elephants sealed a historic place in the knockout stage with a convincing 2-0 victory over Curaçao in their final Group E match.
Former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pépé scored in the seventh and 64th minutes to guide Emerse Faé’s side into the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in the country’s history.
Côte d’Ivoire join fellow African representatives Morocco and South Africa, who had already booked their places in the Round of 32, while several other African nations remain in contention for qualification.
Elsewhere, Australia secured the point they needed with a goalless draw against Paraguay to finish second in Group D.
Paraguay’s four-point haul also leaves them on the brink of qualification as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
In the same group, already-qualified hosts United States suffered a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Turkey, who ended their campaign on a high with a stoppage-time winner from Kaan Ayhan.
Despite the loss, the Americans progressed as Group D winners and will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32.
The Netherlands topped Group F after defeating Tunisia 3-1, setting up a last-32 clash with Morocco.
Brian Brobbey continued his impressive tournament by scoring his third goal of the competition.
Meanwhile, Ecuador produced one of the biggest surprises of the tournament, coming from behind to beat already-qualified Germany 2-1.
The victory secured Ecuador’s passage to the knockout stage as one of the highest-ranked third-placed teams and further strengthened South America’s representation in the Round of 32.
19 Teams Qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32
Argentina
Brazil
Mexico
Canada
United States
Morocco
South Africa
Côte d’Ivoire
Germany
Netherlands
Japan
Spain
France
Croatia
Switzerland
Sweden
Ecuador
Australia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
With 13 places still up for grabs, the race for the knockout rounds continues as the remaining group-stage matches conclude over the coming days, with several African nations still hoping to extend the continent’s presence in the competition.
